Himes stunt the low road

Published 5:25 pm, Thursday, December 12, 2013

We pause before commenting on this subject for fear of rewarding a misguided effort, like publishing a photo of a streaker at a World Series game.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat who hails from Greenwich, was thrust into a shaky spotlight when an activist was filmed crashing a reception and offering him an open briefcase filled with fake cash.

The guerrilla-style footage was filmed and released by the Represent.us organization, which campaigns against the system of political fundraising. The group's new target is the recent congressional repeal of restrictions on derivatives.

Represent.us is accusing Himes, a minority member of the House Financial Services Committee, of supporting a bill that helped bankers who contribute to his political campaign. Himes was certainly not alone in supporting the measure, which drew bi-partisan support. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called it a necessary amendment to the Dodd-Frank banking reforms passed following the economic collapse in 2008.

The video has to be deemed something of a success for Represent.us. Dan Debicella -- a past and potential future foe of Himes -- declared his support of the group. The congressman's own camp, meanwhile, was put in the position of defending his actions. "This particular piece of bipartisan legislation was a carefully balanced compromise designed to ensure businesses can protect their bottom lines against price fluctuations while keeping the dangerous derivatives that helped cause the 2008 crash out of federally insured banks," said Himes spokeswoman, Elizabeth Kerr. "Since first taking office, Jim has worked to eliminate even the possibility of conflicts of interest, including going well above existing requirements and selling his personal holdings in companies under the oversight of the Financial Services Committee."

For everyone else, though, the video seems like a harbinger of the next generation of snarky politics. Congressmen should be treated with appropriate respect, not like guests getting slimed on a Nickelodeon awards show. Leave the political humor to Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and "Saturday Night Live." Gate-crashing strangers thrusting briefcases at congressmen need to be discouraged.

The simple matter of trespassing at the event compromises Represent.us. In an era where we should be taking political dialogue on a straighter path, this is the road that must not be taken.

So, like the example of the streaker at a ball game, let's not go to the videotape.